Bottle-capping machine.



. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

S. R. HARRIS.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1904.

3 SEBETS-BHBET 1.

. V c? XAb x1- No. 787,881. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. S. R. HARRIS.

BOTTLE CAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5,1904.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED APR. 18, 1905.

S. R. HARRIS.

BOTTLE GAPPING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 6,1904.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

NITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

BOTTLE-CAPPING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,881, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904. Serial No. 215,217.

T0 111/ whom it nuty concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL It. Hamnsacitizen of the United States, residing at the city of Philadelphia, in the county of Philadel' phia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bottle-Capping Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has relation to a machine for pressing to place metallic caps or capsules on bottles through the medium of hydraulic or fluid pressure acting on an elastic cup, into which is placed the neck of the bottle, with the cap loosely mounted thereon; and in such connection my invention has relation in particular to a power-operated machine for effecting such purpose.

The principal objects of my invention are, first, to provide a power-operated machine for fixing metallic caps to bottles which shall be simple, durable, and efficient in operation; second, to provide, in such a machine, two or more elastic cups of different sizes for readily operating on different-sized bottles; third, to provide, in such a machine, means for controlling the pressure on the elastic cups, and. fourth, to provide means for releasing the pressure on either of said elastic cups when not required.

The nature and scope of mypresent invention will be more fully understood from the followingdescription, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming part hereof, in which Figure l is a vertical central sectional view of a bottle-capping machine embodying main features of my invention. Fig. 2 a rear elevational view of the same, certain portions being broken away. Fig. l; is a side elevatioiial view, on a reduced scale, of the machine and its supporting-standards, a portion of the standards being broken away; and Fig. 4: is an enlarged detail view, partly in section and in elevation, of one of the plungers or pistons of the machine and a portion of the guiderod to which the plunger is attached.

Referring to the (.lrawings, the machine is provided with two or more elastic cups (1 and b of different sizes or contours and of the usual construction. These cups a and Z are mounted in chambers 11 and 1), respectively, which chambers are in conununication with cylinders or barrels and b. A plunger or piston a is adapted to be forced into the cylinder (1' to cause the fluid which is contained within the cylinder 11 and chamber a to collapse the elastic cu p a and press to place the cap which rests loosely on the neck of the bottle when inserted in the cup in a well-known manner. A plunger 7) performs the same function with respect to the cup 0 when the chamber 0 and cylinder 1) are filled with fluid. The upper end of the plunger 1! is secured to a guide-stem (l, suitably guided in a bearing (1, carried by the framework of the machine. A helical spring (1 mounted on an extension (1 of the stem (1, serves to return the plungers to their uppermost position to relieve the pressure on the elastic cups (1 and (I. At the lower end of the guide-stem (Z is secured a collar 1., having extending to the front a projection (1', to which the plunger 1) is secured and by means of which it is operated. Ifixtending toward the rear of the machine from the collar 1; is a projection which is adapted to be operated on by a cam f. mounted on the shaft of the machine, to force the plungers u and Z) downward into their respective cylimlers. To cause the guide-stem and the parts carried by the same to come quietly to rest at their uppermost position, there is provided a spring /1 surrounding the lower end of the extension (1 of the stem (land mounted in a thimble It, carried by the bearing (l, which thimble separates the spring /1 from the spring The driving mechanism of the machine is preferably as follows: To one end of the shaft is secured a gear-wheel g, meshing with a pinion i, mounted on the counter-shaft On the other end of the counter-shaft 1' is loosely mounted a driving-pulley Z", which is adapted to be locked to the counter-shaft 1' by means of a clutch '1'. This clutch Z is controlled by a foot-treadle Z through the intervention of a rod Z a bell-crank lever if, and clutch-arm k acting against the tension of a spring K), which normally tends to unlock the pulley from the shaft 2'.

The base! of the framework of the machine,

as illustrated in Fig. 1, is preferably made hollow to serve as a reservoir for the fluid. A hand-pump l (shown in Figs. 2 and 3) serves to regulate the degree of pressure required in the capping operation by supplying a greater or less quantity of fluid, as may be desired, from the base Z to the chamber a or b, with which the pump is connected by means of a suitable pipe m, provided with valves or cocks m and m to control the admission of fluid to the required chamber. To drain either chamber when it is desired to use the other, the chambers a and b are .connected by a suitable drain-pipe 71, provided with valves or cocks n and n to control the egress of the fluid from the required chamber to the hollow reservoir. To permit air to escape or enter when it is desired to fill or empty either of the chambers, the plungers a and 6 as shown in Figs. 1 and 4, are provided at their upper ends with air-outlets 0, normally closed by means of a screw-valve 0 and communicating with a duct 0 running through the plungers to their respective cylinders.

Having thus described the nature and objects of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In amachine of the character described, an elastic cup, a chamber in which the cup is mounted, a cylinder in communication with the chamber, aplunger mounted in the cylinder, a continuously-driven driving mechanism, and means adapted to connect the plunger with said driving mechanism, at the proper time.

2. In a machine of the character described, an elastic cup, a chamber in which the cup is mounted, a cylinder in communication with the chamber, a plunger mounted in the cylinder, a cam adapted to force the plunger into the cylinder, a continuously-driven driving mechanism, and means adapted to connect the cam with said driving mechanism,at the proper time.

3. In a machine of the character described, an elastic cup, a chamber in which the cup is mounted, a cylinder in communication with the chamber, a plunger mounted in the cylinder, means for filling said chamber a cam adapted to force the plunger into the cylinder, means for operating the cam and a treadle mechanism adapted to control the actuation of said cam.

I. In a machine of the character described, a

plurality of elastic cups, chambers in which the cups are respectively mounted, a cylinder communicating with each of the chambers, a

plunger mounted in each of the cylinders, and means for filling and drainingeither chamber and its cylinder, as required.

5. In amachine of the character described, a plurality of elastic cups, chambers in which the cups are mounted, a cylinder communicating with each of the chambers, a plunger mounted in each of the cylinders, a pump controlling the amount of fluid forced into the chamber and its cylinder, and means for draining either chamber and its cylinder.

6. In a machine of the character described, a hollow standard forming a reservoir for fluid, an elastic cup arranged to receive the cap and neck of a bottle, a fluid-chamber surrounding the cup, a pump arranged to force fluid in regulated quantity from the reservoir into the fluid-chamber and a plunger arranged to reciprocate in the fluid-chamber.

7. .In a machine of the character described, a hollow standard forming a reservoir for fluid, an elastic cup arranged to receive the neck of a bottle with a cap, a fluid-chamber surrounding the cup, a cylinder connected with said chamber, means adapted to connect said reservoir with said chamber and cylinder, a hollow plunger arranged to reciprocate in said cylinder, and a valve-controlled duct leading from the interior of the plunger to the exterior atmosphere.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my signature in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL R. HARRIS. Witnesses:

J. WALTER DOUGLASS, THOMAS M. SMITH. 

